Living Lie
by Meinos Kaen
Summary: It's surprising how life can change because of even little pieces of information leaking out to the right people... Or the wrong ones. In Naruto's case, the information that leaked out was about his parents. Who has acquired it, though? AU


Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto

Disclaimer: I don't own Naruto. That's enough… To make me cringe.

Hmmm… Well, this came to me once I realized something. I have quite a number of stories, but, most of the active ones… Scratch that. All of them are crack and Crossovers. I lacked a serious Naruto fic. Naruto and Naruto only. I thought that it was time to try and rectify that. Rated M because of future scenes of gore and maybe lime/lemon. So, here you go. Enjoy.

P.S.: The search tags are Naruto and Itachi because they're basically the main characters, not because of the pairing. In all my stories, Yaoi is banned.

_Prologue_

People believe that the only thing that gives men power, in the world, is strength. That and money. But sadly that's not true. There are many other things that can give power, in the world. One of these is information. Many wouldn't believe what is possible to do with the right pieces of information. Good things, bad things. Saving people, blackmail. And it's a matter of blackmail that concerns the current situation. This because one of the nurses that were in the hospital the night a baby was born and a demon attacked the village had a personal connection to one powerful clan of Konoha. That information had been kept to just the right people for years. Waiting for the right chance to use it. That chance had arrived.

"We know about the Yondaime's legacy." The eldest of the men in the room continued to draw on his pipe, exhaling small puffs of smoke as he stared at the man before him.

"… Explain yourself."

"We know about the Jinchuriki's true identity, Hokage-sama." He replied. The Hokage stared at him in silence. The Sandaime didn't like this. Not at all

"…" It seemed like that piece of tobacco was going to meet its end faster than most of the pieces that preceded him. "How?"

"Is it important?" Was the reply from the man. The Hokage thought about it and the slowly shook his head.

"Not really. More important would be: since when?" That little piece of information would tell the Hokage a lot of things.

"A few years." And that probably meant 'Since the year he was born', thought the old Fire Shadow. There was no more doubt in his heart. The man sitting in front of him in his office was up to something. "But just recently our clan decided to take some action according to this."

"Action according to… What?"

"His situation." The man had an ability of being able to stay perfectly still and calm, no matter what subject he was talking about. "We understand that what you did, you did for protecting him. But… The price is too high to pay for a mere child. Of noble lineage, but still a child."

"…" The Hokage was starting to make a few hypothesis in his mind. "You're referring to his current life, I suppose."

"Alienated from his peers, hated from the older ones, mistreated. Forced to live in an orphanage even though I have no doubt that his parents left behind for him many things that would let him live in a completely different way. I would almost dare to say… Luxurious." The first pause between words he had ever taken. But not because he didn't know what word to use. The man was a master of dramatic effect. And the Hokage knew this.

"… It's not a good life. That I'll concede. But it's still a life. I prefer making him live in an orphanage to assassination or kidnapping attempts." The Hokage took another breath of smoke. "If word got out that the Yondaime left behind a son, many would be after him or his life. For his blood and lineage, even if he doesn't have any kind of Kekkei Genkai… But sooner or later word would get out of his other situation. And that would double the number of attempts." The man closed his eyes.

"That would have been the case. But I believe the matter could have been handled in another way." He reopened them. "The elders believe so too… And that's why I am here today. To make a proposition."

"…" The Hokage was silent for a few seconds. He had already understood what the proposition of the man, currently head of his clan, was. And the man knew it. That's why he had stopped talking. "… I will not allow Naruto's adoption into the Uchiha clan." Fugaku suddenly had a reaction. His eyes widened slightly, like he had been surprised by what the Sandaime had just said. And the Hokage was surprised as well.

"That wasn't what I came here to ask. We do not believe to have the right to make such a request, Hokage-sama." The Sandaime felt he had just made an error. "What we want is just to take care of the boy. To give him at least a bit of the life he deserves."

"… Explain. What do you mean?" The Uchiha was getting more and more cryptic by the minute while becoming more and more clear at the same time, as unbelievable as that could sound.

"We'd like a couple from our clan… The elders suggested me and my wife, to become Naruto's tutors." The Sandaime thought about the man's words. That was strange… A strange proposition indeed. "We would take care of him and what his parents left him till he will be of age to take care of them on his own. And in case he decided to pursue a ninja career, I believe that our clan would be optimal to provide him training in the Shinobi arts."

"…" The Sandaime could smell something fishy as soon as the Uchiha had stepped into his office. But… It didn't make sense. Knowing of Naruto's lineage and of his tenant, there was just one thing to which the Uchiha clan would aim to… Making him become an Uchiha. But Fugaku had just clearly stated that they just wanted to become his tutors. There was something else. Something that he still couldn't understand… What if… No. No one was on Madara's level. They wouldn't risk it. "You do know… That the rumours that would arise could become uncomfortable for your clan. Taking in the 'demon'…"

"They would be just rumours. Nothing that our clan could not endure. There are worse kind of 'rumours'… There could be." Fugaku had slightly modified his tone to sound sarcastic. But the Sandaime knew that he was about to say something that would make him, in the Uchiha's mind, gain some points in the conversation. "I mean… Could you imagine if word of Naruto's real identity would have been diffused?"

"…" The Sandaime had to do his best to not flinch, there. Fugaku hadn't gained some points… He had just 'dropped the bomb'. In a few words that he had structured like a joke, so that he couldn't possibly use them in any way against him. It was a threat. 'If you don't let us become his tutor, Naruto's secret will get revealed to the whole village'. And that was something that the Sandaime feared.

It would be the biggest confusion Konoha would know ever since the Kyuubi attack. There was no doubt in his mind that all the big clans of Konoha would come to him making requests similar to the Uchiha's ones. But what would worry him would be the reactions of the villagers and people external to the village. The Yondaime's enemies, the people who had mistreated him who would repent or would just add something else to their hate. Taking possession of the Yondaime's legacy's body… Unforgivable, in their eyes. And there was no doubt that the fact that Naruto was a Jinchuuriki would reach the ears of everyone in the Fire Country, figures the village… And the young ones. What he had always try to avoid… If word got out, Naruto's life would be a hell even worse than the one he was currently facing. And… He couldn't let that happen.

"…" The Sandaime actually bit on his pipe. "… You'll be checked monthly on Naruto's conditions and the conditions of his heritage. And you will not be allowed to tell him about his family before he comes of a proper age."

"We had that intention. And I assure you that the boy will grow strong and healthy. A proud shinobi of Konoha, I expect." Fugaku got up from his seat and bowed. "I shall take my leave, Hokage-sama. Please, let me know when everything will be ready. I suppose that tutelage requires more paperwork than adoption."

"Indeed… It does." The Sandaime couldn't wait to be alone and out of hearing range. Even if it was very unlike him, he felt the unbearable need to curse the Uchiha's name. Because they had fooled him… And because he still didn't have idea what they had in plan for Naruto.

--

The majority of the Uchiha, especially the ones who had the position of the most importance in the clan, seemed to have learned to cut off unnecessary display of the positive half of the emotion sphere, but Fugaku had just outsmarted the Sandaime. And that was something that happened rarely, if not never. So, Fugaku Uchiha decided that it was a good time to chuckle under his breath. It indeed was. But he had to stop almost immediately when he noticed that the elders of his clan had decided to make him a surprise and wait for his return at the entrance of the Uchiha district.

"How did it go? Fugaku." Asked one of them. Fugaku just smiled.

"Like we had planned. He had no choice but to agree." Fugaku shook his head, knowingly. "It's only a matter of time, before… Uh?"

"Dad! Welcome back… Oh?" The conversation was interrupted by the appearance of the currently youngest Uchiha alive. "What are the elders doing here, dad?"

"…" Fugaku sighed. He was going to break the news to his son, sooner or later, but not so soon… Well, it wouldn't change much. Not even his words. "Nothing much, Sasuke. We were discussing about something concerning our family."

"Really? What is it?" Asked the little raven-haired kid, curious as any six years old could be. Fugaku chuckled.

"We were thinking about… Giving you a little brother." Sasuke's face suddenly lit up.

"Really?!" He ran to his dad and hugged his legs. "Thanks, dad!" Then he raised his head to look at his father's face. "Then I promise to not walk into the bedroom anymore while you do strange noises with mom!" And then happened another unusual thing, for the Uchiha clan. Fugaku flushed while the elders snickered at his expenses.

**Living Lie**

**Chapter1: Out and In**

"Give it back!"

"Try to take it back, crybaby!"

Why always him? It happened so many times among the week that he had lost count. Well, he could count just to ten, but the point was that they were mean to him and him only. They hid his shoes, forcing him to walk around barefooted for days, sometimes. They threw food at him while they ate. Or, like now, they took his only toy, his stuffed frog, and ran all around the orphanage with it. And he couldn't understand why… Or better, he couldn't understand why the kids weren't punished for those kind of pranks only when he was the target.

This was their favourite prank, though. Since they did it on a weekly basis. Once every week, they would steal it and run. And Naruto would run after them. And in the end, get tired or trip and hurt himself. Even if it took some effort. To tire the blonde out, the older kids had to pass around the stuffed toy to an accomplice four times. The one currently running was the third one. And he was starting to get tired.

"Anf… Anf…" _I think… I think we should think of another way to prank him… This is getting too tiring… Or is he that is getting faster?_

"Sniff…" Naruto kept on running trough the orphanage's corridor, and he was slowly catching up to the kid. Suddenly, he saw that he had slowed down even more. "Give it baaaaack!"

"Ah!" Naruto suddenly sped up and much to the older kid's surprise, he suddenly jumped and tackled him to the ground by grabbing onto his legs. He ended up with his face on the ground, losing the hold he had on the stuffed toy that ended up on the ground some meters in front of him. "Ugh!"

"Froggy!" Naruto let go of the kid's leg and ran to pick his stuffed toy up, but another kid beat him to it. He suddenly picked it up from the ground just before Naruto could do the same. "Nooo!"

"Ahahah! Try and… Ouch!" Naruto was about to run after the kid, who had just turned around a corner, but it seems that he had hit something or someone in his run. "Hey! What… Let me down!" Definitely someone. As much as he knew, walls didn't do things to people. He turned the corner as well. The kid who had picked up the toy, currently on the ground, was being held by the back of his shirt by a man… No. It wasn't a man. It was another kid. Around 12 years old. But he had never seen him around the orphanage. Not that he could be, judging from how his clothes were clean and tidy and all black, as black as his hair, long and tied in a ponytail. And there was the matter of those strange marks near his nose. But the most incredible thing was that he was holding a boy of ten years old above his head with one hand. The stranger kneeled and picked up the stuffed toy from the ground, offering it to Naruto.

"This is yours, I believe." He said, smiling at the blonde six years old. Naruto stood there for a few seconds, unsure of what to do. Maybe he was tricking him. He was just going to retract his hand, like most did. The older boy noticed his uneasiness and just threw the stuffed toy to him. Naruto caught it with both hands, surprised, while his new acquaintance let go of the bully and simply told him… "Scram."

"Ahhhhhhhhhhh!" No need to say it twice, at least judging from how fast he disappeared and how scared he was. The older boy just observed the running figure for a few seconds before turning to Naruto again.

"You're Uzumaki Naruto, right?" The blonde boy just nodded, still a bit unsure. The older boy suddenly stretched out his right arm and hand to him, still smiling. "I'm Uchiha Itachi." Naruto just stared at the hand… Not because he was shy, but because he really didn't know what to do. This surprised the raven haired boy. "You have to shake it…"

"Ah." Naruto flinched a little when Itachi pulled his right hand off the stuffed frog and made him stretch his arm, leaning the blonde's right hand on his own, before gently squeezing it and shaking it.

"Like this." Itachi slowly shook it for a few seconds. Naruto at first just let his hand be shaken… But then he started to like it. It was a new game, in his mind. He began to shake back, a bit faster than Itachi did. The older boy just chuckled. "You quickly got the hang of it." He let go of Naruto's hand. Naruto grinned at him.

"It's fun! Thanks for before, nii-san! Uh…" The little Naruto suddenly brought a hand to his mouth. "But why are you here?"

"For you, to tell the truth." Naruto just blinked and cocked his head to the side. Itachi chuckled. "Can you take me to your matron's office?"

"The room of the old lady?"

--

Naruto had guided Itachi to the old lady's room, and the Uchiha had said to him to wait near the door. He had to talk to the matron. Naruto was worried, because he had heard the woman scream a couple of times. Itachi had been in there for more than ten minutes. Suddenly, the door opened again. And Itachi came out. He turned to him, smiling.

"W-Why was she screaming, nii-san?" Itachi just chuckled.

"Nothing much. She just didn't like a twelve years old giving her orders." He closed the door behind him. "Go pack your stuff."

"E-Eh?" Naruto was confused. Itachi kneeled to be on eyelevel with him. "What do you mean?"

"What I said. Go pack your stuff. You're leaving this place." Itachi said it like it was the most normal thing in the world, but Naruto's face lit up like a night sky thanks to a particularly powerful firework. Leaving an orphanage for a kid means just one thing. Adoption. That single thought made him double his speed. Itachi chuckled while observing the cloud of dust he left behind. "He's fast… Uh?" Naruto had forgot something, it seemed. His head peered back from behind the angle he had just turned.

"Ehm… Nii-san, what does 'pack' mean?" Itachi felt himself lose his balance.

--

"This is all? Really?"

"Yes." Itachi had been surprised to say the least. Naruto's belongings… He didn't think that there was a single man in the world who owned so little. Apart the clothes he was wearing, he owned just a couple of shirts and a single other pair of pants, other than underwear. A single pair of shoes, and just one toy. And just an old toothbrush. And nothing to put everything in. Good thing that being in ANBU provided you with skills about storing things in scrolls. A single one was sufficient. He left the toy out. Naruto would hold onto it. "So… Anyone you want to say goodbye to?" Naruto shook his head.

"I don't have any friends, here. The only one… Got adopted a couple of months ago." Itachi observed him and then nodded. He stretched out his right hand, so that Naruto could hold onto it while the walked.

"Alright, then. Let's go." Naruto grabbed Itachi's hand and the two walked down the stairs, in the courtyard and out of the orphanage. In a few minutes they were out, walking down Konoha's streets. And Itachi noticed that the usual stares they gave him or Naruto, admiration or fangirlism and hate, had been turned into stares of surprise. It was indeed a surprise to see the Uchiha prodigy walking around holding hands with the 'demon'. And most of all… Why was the little doom smiling?

"Nee, Itachi-niisan? Who adopted me? Your parents? You're going to be my brother?" Itachi flinched at that. They knew he was going to ask for questions. And that was exactly why they had sent him to pick the boy up.

"Well… It's a bit more complicated…" Naruto blinked. Itachi groaned. How was he going to say it when he was looking at him with those eyes? He had to carefully choose his words. "Well… Yes. They're my parents. But they didn't ask to adopt you, Naruto. They asked to be your tutors."

"Eh? What does it mean?" Good. He was getting confused but not sad. The Uchiha prodigy scratched his left cheek.

"Well… Basically, you will live with us and we will take care of you, but… You will not gain our surname." Even more confused. "… Basically, there will be plenty of people who will care for you, but you will not be a real member of the family."

"… Oh." Annnnnd down. Itachi felt something hit his heart when he saw Naruto's downcast face. Like a kunai, or a spiked boulder.

"But, if you want…" Naruto raised his head. "You can call me 'aniki'." This seemed to cheer Naruto up a bit. Itachi sighed in relief. That was too close…

--

"…"

"Welcome to the Uchiha district, Naruto." Naruto had been asking about where he was going to live. And that led to him asking what a district was. And that led to Itachi telling him that his clan basically owned a little piece of Konoha. Itachi also explained to him that he could tell by his clan's symbol that was all over the place.

"This is… All of your clan?" Itachi chuckled while the young boy kept on looking around. He nodded to him.

"Yes, it is."

"Good morning, Itachi-sama." The couple of young boys came to a halt when a man bowed stopped in front of them and bowed. Itachi bowed back.

"Good morning, Tetsu-san. How are you doing? And drop the sama with me, please. You're more than twice my age. It makes me feel old." The older man laughed at Itachi's answer.

"I don't see any other way to use when referring to you, Itachi-sama. You are Fugaku-sama's son, our clan prodigy and a respectable ninja… Oh?" The man had noticed only then that Itachi was holding onto a young kid. "Itachi-sama… He's…"

"Uzumaki Naruto. I was on my way to bring him home." The man stared at the boy for a few seconds, and then nodded, smiling again.

"I understand. Welcome to the Uchiha district, Uzumaki-san."

"T-Thank you?" The man chuckled then bowed to Itachi again and walked away. "Who was that, aniki?"

"A member of our clan. Now come on. We usually have lunch in an hour, but we still need to introduce you to the rest of the family and the elders."

In the future, Naruto would always thank Itachi for that map he gave him of the district. The place was huge and almost labyrinth-like. It took them another full ten minutes to reach Itachi's house. No one was waiting for them… In front of the door. When Itachi opened it, the two found themselves face to face with a lot of faces, all unknown to Naruto. The poor boy was so frightened that he hid behind Itachi. The only faces that weren't deadly serious were the only woman of the group and a boy around his age.

"Well done, Itachi." These were the words said by the 'man with the square jaw'. Itachi bowed to him.

"It was nothing, father." Otherwise known as Itachi's father. After getting back in a standing position, he moved to the left and uncovered Naruto, who reluctantly stood in his place, hiding behind his stuffed frog. "This is Naruto Uzumaki. Naruto, these are the elders of the Uchiha clan, my father Fugaku, my mother Mikoto and…" Itachi stopped because he took his time to observe Sasuke's behaviour. He had walked to Naruto and observed him. Naruto slowly moved his arms down along with the toy. Naruto observed him for a few seconds.

"But he has blonde hair… I wanted one with red hair. And he looks like he has my same age." He said. Naruto blinked.

"Eh?" Itachi rolled his eyes while his mother chuckled.

"This is my little brother Sasuke. And Sasuke, taking in children isn't the same as buying dolls. And indeed, Naruto is six years old." The younger Uchiha wasn't really persuaded. He kept on observing Naruto with his lips pursed.

"But… He isn't as tall as me." Naruto blinked. "And his hair look like a porcuspine." He frowned. "And his face looks stupid." He glared.

"And your hair looks like a duck's butt!" Naruto's outburst earned a gasp from Sasuke and a round of laughs from a few of the other Uchihas around. Sasuke was now returning the glare, full power.

"H-Hey! Be respectful! I'm your older brother now, you know!"

"Older brother?! You're my same age!"

"Now, now, Sasuke. Stop." Itachi grabbed his younger brother by the scarf of his shirt, dragging him back before the two six years old started punching the lights out of each other. "A little brother isn't something to boss around, you know…" Sasuke just crossed his arms and huffed. Fugaku decided to talk.

"I welcome you, Uzumaki Naruto. I'm Fugaku Uchiha, and this is my wife Mikoto. We'll be your tutors, from now on." While the man said those words, Mikoto approached Naruto, smiling and leaning forward.

"Hi, Naruto. I hope… Oh, my!" This caught everyone's attention. Mikoto had dropped herself on her knees and was observing Naruto with a panicked face. "You're all dirty!"

"I…" Naruto flushed, while Mikoto began to move his hands all over his body.

"And look at these clothes! And… When was the last time you ate decently?!"

"Ehm…" Suddenly, he found himself being lifted by the woman.

"You're gonna take a bath and change into clean clothes before lunch, little boy." It sounded more like an order than anything else, and Sasuke flinched when his mother turned to him and snatched him out of Itachi's hands. "You too, Sasuke. You've been playing near the well again, right?"

"But moooom!" The Uchiha matron walked inside her house along with her 'packages', while the other Uchihas followed her with their gazes. One of the Uchiha elders was the first to talk once they were sure she was out hearing range.

"Your wife could become a problem, Fugaku. She's still a woman… And a mother."

"I'll talk with her if needed. But I'm sure she will not let herself grow close to the boy." Fugaku uncrossed his arms. "She knows our plans. She will just act her role like she has always done." The Uchiha head turned to his oldest son. "Your role finishes here, Itachi. You have to focus getting into ANBU."

"… Yes, father." Itachi bowed. But while his face was a mask of indifference, his real self had very divergent opinions, if compared to his father. On lots of things.

--

Mikoto was probably the strangest person Naruto had ever met. She had been forceful and almost frightening all the way to the bathroom. Once he had managed to drop them inside hot water, though, she changed to a sweet, smiling self that Naruto couldn't help but appreciate. He had seen very few people smiling at him that way, in his life. At the same time, he had never seen someone of his same age as grumpy as Sasuke. He didn't let Mikoto touch a inch of his hair, and washed himself on his own. Naruto could have done so too, but he was enjoying the gentle touch of the woman's fingers too much to say anything.

After finishing and washing them, she left them inside Sasuke's room along with some clean clothes. And the two kids had another fight when Naruto said something bad about high collars. In the end, they came out of the room full of scratches and with Naruto's shirt lacking its collar. The two shot icy glares to each other while sitting at the table. Itachi sighed. Good thing his mother had just finished cooking. One weak point of every Uchiha was Mikoto's cooking. It was legendary.

"I hope you like curry, Naruto."

"Ehm… I think he does…" Itachi was laughing nervously at how Naruto was devouring the rice with curry sauce without even stopping for a glass of water. The thing was spicy, you know. All this under the chuckling gaze of Mikoto and the horrified looks of Sasuke. Fugaku just kept his eyes closed.

"S-Slow down! Eat with some manners!"

"Ahhh! It's good!" Naruto completely ignored Sasuke. Thing that made the child twitch and get even more angry.

"Sasuke is right, though, Naruto."

"Uh?" Naruto suddenly found his face covered by a handkerchief, wiping away the mess that had made while eating curry.

"You should eat more slowly and without making such a mess on your face. Girls don't like that." Mikoto chuckled while she cleaned up Naruto's face. Naruto stuck out his tongue when she finished.

"So what? Most girls are yucky." Mikoto chuckled.

"Most? Some are not?"

"Well, only one girl I know is not yucky…"

"Mom, please. You can research gossip material later. Just let him eat." Naruto didn't know it, but he had just been saved by Itachi, who kept on eating his rice and at the same time talking coherently. "Mom loves to talk about this kind of things."

"Alright, I'll change subject. Naruto, do you know that Itachi has a fanclub but he still hasn't even kissed a single girl?" This comment caused Itachi to cover Sasuke's face in curry and rice, much to his twitching. Naruto cocked his head to the side.

"M-Mom!" This was the first time Sasuke had seen his older brother panic.

"Kiss? Like, on the cheek?" The poor blonde was oblivious. And his oblivious face was damn cute.

"No, I mean a true kiss, Naruto. Like, on the mouth. Lips to lips." She replied. Naruto rolled his eyes and opened his mouth in a 'Ahhhh…', in understanding.

"Then, I already did that." This time, Sasuke chocked on the food. This managed to make him dodge another round of curry and rice on his face. Mikoto gasped and then chuckled.

"With a girl?" Naruto nodded. Mikoto smiled and ruffled his hair. "My, Naruto-chan! You're really grown up, then!"

"… I lost to a six years old?" Itachi gulped down a glass water in one move, thinking about which one of his fangirls was the less scary… Who was he kidding? If he made a move on one of them, there would be an uproar. It was because of those damn monsters that he didn't have a love-life. He was twelve years old, of course. A 12-years old love-life. "Well, no matter. I still have time, and a lot of possibilities. I'm a 12 years old Uchiha about to join ANBU, after all. That alone is a girls-magnet. If you add my looks…"

"Ah, then, you're a ninja, aniki?" Hearing the word 'aniki', Fugaku had the first reaction since the beginning of the meal. He raised an eyebrow and an eyelid. Itachi nodded.

"Yes. Basically, everyone in the Uchiha clan is or has been a ninja, Naruto." Itachi took another mouthful of rice. "All strong ones too, I must say. The Uchiha clan is the most powerful and feared clan of Konoha."

"…" Fugaku noticed the choice of words made by Itachi. 'Feared'. When he could have used 'respected'… He shrugged it off, though. After all, it was true. And the blonde kid's only reaction was to stare in awe at Itachi.

"And Itachi-aniki is the prodigy of the clan!" Boasted Sasuke for his older brother. "But soon I will become as strong as him! In one month I'll start the ninja academy!"

"Ninja academy?" Itachi nodded to Naruto.

"It's the place when kids around your age go to learn the basics of being a ninja. Basically, it's like a school for ninja."

"Can I go too?" At the question, Fugaku opened both his eyes. No one was saying a word, for a reason or another. The main reason was how sudden the question had been. Naruto flushed, noticing everyone's stares on him. "I mean… If… If I have to stay with you… And you're all ninjas… I mean, it would be strange if I didn't become one too, right?"

"Indeed. It would be strange for you to not become a strong ninja, Naruto." Fugaku seemed to have suddenly regained the use of speech. "If that is your wish, from the next April you will be enrolled in the academy as well."

"Really?! Thanks, Fukagu-san!" Naruto cheered. Mikoto smiled at him while Sasuke just grumbled something inaudible under his breath. Itachi kept on eating but if he could have done so, he would have sent a disapproving glance in his father's direction. But he couldn't. He was an Uchiha, after all. The clan… Came before anything, right?

"I'll be sure to make you stay in the same class as Sasuke."

"WHAT?!"

"WHAT?!"

--

"This will be your room."

"Wow... A room… Just for me?" Another thing Naruto wasn't used to. At the orphanage he had to share his room with three other children. He was expecting to share the room with Sasuke, at least, but… He was wrong, it seemed. The room was incredibly clean, and full of furniture… He even had a TV, all for him. And the bed was enormous. Itachi had to push him to stop making him stand in front of where the door once was. After a bit of hesitation, he jumped on the bed. "It's soft!"

"That's how a bed should be, you know…" Itachi smiled and then sat on the bed beside him. He remained silent for a few seconds, checking if they were alone. Then, he talked again. "Naruto… Do you really want to become a ninja?"

"Yeah! I mean, I was about to ask jii-chan about it too, next time he came to visit." Naruto sat on the bed, grinning. Itachi raised an eyebrow. Jii-chan… Oh, that was priceless.

"You mean the Sandaime?"

"Yes, yes. Hokage-jiichan!" Naruto nodded, still grinning. "He always said lots of things about ninjas. I want to become one too!"

"… Why?" That was the question that Itachi wanted to ask. It was a good thing that he didn't ask that question because he felt obliged to the Uchiha for taking him in, but now he was just curious. Naruto grinned.

"Because I want to become Hokage!" Itachi raised an eyebrow at that. Hokage? "The Hokage is the strongest ninja of the village, right?! If I become Hokage, there's no way that people will not respect me!"

"…" Itachi stared at Naruto for a few seconds… Then, he chuckled… And then he exploded in laughter. Naruto blinked… And then felt just stupid.

"W-What's so funny?!"

"Ahahahah… I really needed that. No, nothing." Itachi leaned a hand upon Naruto's head. "It's nice that there are still children able to make such dreams."

"… Aniki, you're a child too, more or less… You're twelve."

"… Am I?" Itachi smiled at Naruto, but the blonde kid noticed that… It wasn't his usual smile. This one seemed almost… Sad. "Well, it's nice that you want to become ninja because of something that came out of your own head. You wouldn't believe how many people become ninja because of peer or family pressure."

"Ehm… I didn't understand what you just said, Itachi-aniki…" Itachi rolled his eyes.

"Basically, that you decided to become a ninja because you wanted it, and not because other people wanted you to do it."

"Ahhhh… Understood." Naruto nodded. Itachi smiled at him and ruffled his hair.

"Well, enjoy your room and your bed." Itachi got up from his bed and walked out, stopping on the door. "Ah, and… Try to be nice to Sasuke. After all, you'll have to spend lots of time together, you know?"

"…" Naruto crossed his arms and pouted. "He started it…"

"Naruto…"

"… Fine."

"Good. I'll see you later. Bye." Itachi walked out smiling and closed the door behind him. Naruto leaned his back on the bed and smiled. First day, not yet ended… But he already knew that he was going to like living in that house. They all were so nice…

--

"Itachi."

"…" He knew that was coming a mile away. Itachi immediately stopped walking and turned to his father, who was standing in the courtyard of the house. "Yes, father?"

"I though I told you that your part in this was finished. You don't need to distract yourself with the Jinchuuriki anymore." He said. Itachi closed and reopened his eyes slowly. Fugaku crossed his arms. "It would just take time from your training and missions. You have to get into ANBU to become…"

"Your spy in the high spheres of the village. I know." Itachi interrupted his father, and this caused him to stop. "But… With all due respect, father, you're inferior to no one when it comes to planning, but you have little knowledge when it comes to people's emotions, if they're not people close to you. That's why you let mom take care of the first part of the plans you have for Naruto, right?"

"… Explain." Fugaku crossed his arms, waiting for his son to talk again.

"I was the one who brought him here and made him open up and trust you, mom and Sasuke. For association. If I'm nice to you, then he's nice to you too. His reasoning is as simple as that." He turned slightly to look at his father. Till now he had been facing nothing in particular. "If I start ignoring him right after bringing him here, not that I will have a way of ignoring him anymore, it will just bring him back in his shell, if not further back. But the purpose of the first part of the plan is exactly the opposite, isn't it?"

"…" Fugaku closed his eyes, looking at the ground. "I understand… I guess you're to trust on this."

"Thanks, father."

"Just don't let it hinder you on your role in the other plan. Because without the first plan… The Jinchuuriki will become useless to us… Almost."

"… I understand father. Please, excuse me." Itachi bowed and walked away. And in the meanwhile, he thought about the lie he had just told his father. It wasn't that he did have little knowledge when it came to people's emotions… He had none. And not enough knowledge to read other people's minds. He couldn't even see what his eldest son really thought of what the Uchiha clan was planning.

--

"…" The Sandaime Hokage was worried about the young blonde boy that had just taken in from the most sinister of Konoha's clans. And the most powerful too. Not powerful enough to go against an entire village, even if most people believed that to be the case, but still powerful enough to damage its stability, if something happened. And there was the matter of the rumours about the connection between the clan and the Kyuubi… Whatever it was, Sarutobi was sure that Fugaku and the elders didn't decide to take in Naruto out of a sudden attack of human compassion. Another serious matter he would have to take care of. Like he hadn't enough already, other than the normal paperwork.

The papers in front of himself, that morning, were the profiles of the Chuunins candidates for entering ANBU. The candidates have to undergo a trial period, participating in various missions of growing difficulty with members of the ANBU to observe their skills and behaviour. The profiles were the profiles of the people who had passed the preliminary attitudinal test. And the one ranked first… "Hmph. Talk of the devil…" A twelve years old Chuunin. Uchiha Itachi. He began to read his profile. Ibiki had taken care of the young prodigy's test. It seems he had asked to do it personally. "… This boy…"

_Continue…_

_In the next chapter…_

Naruto seems to have settled in well with the Uchihas. Now it's time to enter the academy. Will things go differently for Naruto, now that he has some kind of family to rely on? In the meanwhile, Itachi takes part in his final exam for entrance in ANBU. Stay tuned.


End file.
